Lark Ballinger
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4lark.bsky.social
Lark Ballinger
@4lark.bsky.social
human thinker writer advocating for humanity at the intersection of consistency, compassion, and logic
Yep.
September 21, 2023 at 4:56 AM
I'm preparing to revisit a WIP and begin laying the foundations for a new one!

And yes, being surrounded by loving folks in life's car makes those speed bumps bearable.
September 21, 2023 at 2:19 AM
I've been away for a bit but was just coming by to see how you're doing. And of course, you're modeling the #BlackExcellence we know so well. Get it! 🙌🏽
September 18, 2023 at 4:12 PM
Ouch, that's rough, I'm sorry. Let us know what you need and how we may help. ❤
September 14, 2023 at 6:06 AM
As for your question about empathy, when folks are focused (understandably so) on their own unacknowledged, unaddressed, unresolved problems, expressing empathy for others is challenging, especially when those others are seen as Other (capital "O").
September 13, 2023 at 3:35 PM
Agreed, exposure therapy *doesn't* work for all, but it's also practically impossible to prevent exposure to every single potential trigger (or even trauma) we might encounter in daily life. That's not to say prevention shouldn't be attempted, but rather that it shouldn't be the exclusive focus.
September 13, 2023 at 3:33 PM
Both the complete 8-hour work as well as a 1-hour sampling are available on Spotify.
September 13, 2023 at 2:41 PM
I'm not so naive as to suggest something that will work, as I presume you've tried damn near everything, but if music doesn't disrupt what sleep you do get, you may enjoy listening to Richter's 8-hour opus SLEEP until you do finally pass out.
September 12, 2023 at 5:34 AM
A relatively nascent thought of mine is how I've been failed not just by oppression, but by a Left that teaches folks to lead with weakness (as opposed to vulnerability) and provides few tools on how to thrive in a world that's still unjust. 3/3
September 12, 2023 at 5:30 AM
Another thought that I think deserves more space than this medium allows ('cos nuance is challenging enough when not adhering to the party line) is that the Left arguably coddles folks. This isn't praise for the Right, mind you. Both sides would do well to learn from the other. 2/?
September 12, 2023 at 5:27 AM
I hear you. My bias is partially due to being a survivor of multiple traumas. Life's hard. We can't protect ourselves from everything. That's why it's important to heal.

As for your example, BARBARIAN comes to mind. Yes, it's in a particular genre, but going in (as) blind (as possible)'s the point.
September 12, 2023 at 5:24 AM
Something that comes to mind is a play which I won't name so as to avoid spoilers where there's "strong language" used but it's only a single utterance late in the play. Ergo, the impact on the audience when that word drops is immense but could be lost if there was a warning in the program. 2/2
September 11, 2023 at 9:24 PM
In the context of something that someone would post here that didn't involve linking to a larger work, a content warning would *not* take away from my experience. 1/2
September 11, 2023 at 9:21 PM
I absolutely LOVE it when folks disagree with me, especially when we're friendly. I infer trust and comfort in the relationship when folks are comfortable speaking up in opposition. I also love being challenged. It's one way I grow and am given the chance to change my perspective.
September 11, 2023 at 3:37 AM
I'm realizing that there was no specification of whether we were discussing content warnings as mandatory or voluntary.

If content warnings aren't visible to those who don't wish to see them (and not mandatory for those presenting the content), I say have at!
September 11, 2023 at 3:34 AM
Where I'm most acutely opposed to content warnings is in academic contexts. There are some unpleasant things in life and to avoid engaging learning about them on a macro level can have less than ideal consequences. 4/4
September 11, 2023 at 12:50 AM
For longer works, such as film or books (yes, the latter is a text context, but length is important context, I think), I think it somewhat appropriate for there to be a heads up on general themes, but content warnings could potentially be spoilers, robbing folks of an intended experience. 3/4
September 11, 2023 at 12:48 AM
…and that includes content warnings. In a text context, including your own post about suicide, the content warning literally contains the topic being warned about, so I'd think once seeing that, the topic is already on someone's mind. They can hardly avoid thinking about it after being warned. 2/?
September 11, 2023 at 12:45 AM